Cowburn, Benjamin Hodkinson "Benoît"
- Date of birth:
- March 13th, 1909 (Lancashire, United Kingdom)
- Date of death:
- December 17th, 1994 (Boulogne-Billancourt, France)
- Service number:
- 183828
- Nationality:
- British
Biography
Benjamin Cowburn, or Benoît as he was codenamed, was parachuted into France four times. His first time in early 1941. Before the war he had lived in Paris as an engineer, and his fluent French and local knowledge made him an ideal recruit to SOE.
In No Cloak, No Dagger he records his experiences in France during WW2; setting up letter-drops, safe-houses and parachute landing sites.
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Military Cross (MC)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Captain
- Unit:
- F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
- Awarded on:
- November 11th, 1943
"This Officer has just returned from his third mission to the Field.
During the first period (September 1941 to March 1942) he made a number of contacts through which he was able to build up an active and effective organisation as a basis for his second mission (May 1942 to October 1942).
This formed the foundation of a highly successful group now under control of another organiser.
For his third mission (March 1943 to September 1943) Captain Cowburn was sent over to take charge of another circuit.
Once again he gave evidence of his organising ability, calculated perseverance and a personal courage of no mean order. This latter quality was demonstrated to a very marked degree in the pursuance of the tasks allotted to him.
He made repeated efforts to obtain an entry into a very heavily guarded transformer station. (continued by an obscured section red.)"
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Temporary Major
- Unit:
- F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
- Awarded on:
- November 15th, 1945
Recommendation:
"This officer was successfully parachuted into France on four seperate occasions between 1941 and 1944. He left on his fourth and last mission in July 1944. He left on his fourth and last mission in July 1944 with the two-fold task of establishing an organiser and W/T operator in the Nancy area in order to organise sabotage and guerilla warfare, and to retrieve a circuit in the Seine et Marne whose chief had been arrested by the Gestapo.
To accomplish the first task he was obliged to make several dangerous journeys between troyes, Paris and Nancy. These areas were at the time thick with German troops, Gestapo and Milice, but COWBURN was able to make the necessary contacts and he established the Nancy party satisfactorily without arousing suspicion. It was largely due to his efforts that te circuit was subsequently able to carry out effective sabotage of the railways and tele-communications in the Nancy area and to organise the guerilla activity which caused considerable disruption to enemy troop movements in eastern France. The officer who took over the circuit has paid tribute to COWBURN's selfless courage and leadership.
Having returned to Paris, COWBURN tried to re-establish contact with the Seine et Marne circuit. This was a dangerous task, for the group had been penetrated by the Gestapo as a result of the arrest of its leader and second in command. COWBURN succeeded, however, in tracing its W/T operator, who was lying low, and although the speed of the Allied armies' advances left him little time to organise the circuit, he was able to play a part in the liberation of Melun at the end of August. He also made a galant attempt to rescue the two arrested officers from Fresnes prison, but having succeeded in penetrating into the prison ground, he found that all political prisoners had been removed to Germany.
During his four clandestine missions in France, this officer made a very great contribution to the successful organisation of French resistance. His courageous and determined leadership were an inspiration to all his colleagues and subordinates. In returning to France for the fourth time, in spite of being well-known to the Gestapo through his previous activities, he showed outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty.
It is strongly recommended that he be awarded a bar to the Military Cross."
Signed
Major-General Colin Gubbins
3.8.45.
Second MC awarded as a Bar.
"This officer was successfully parachuted into France on four seperate occasions between 1941 and 1944. He left on his fourth and last mission in July 1944. He left on his fourth and last mission in July 1944 with the two-fold task of establishing an organiser and W/T operator in the Nancy area in order to organise sabotage and guerilla warfare, and to retrieve a circuit in the Seine et Marne whose chief had been arrested by the Gestapo.
To accomplish the first task he was obliged to make several dangerous journeys between troyes, Paris and Nancy. These areas were at the time thick with German troops, Gestapo and Milice, but COWBURN was able to make the necessary contacts and he established the Nancy party satisfactorily without arousing suspicion. It was largely due to his efforts that te circuit was subsequently able to carry out effective sabotage of the railways and tele-communications in the Nancy area and to organise the guerilla activity which caused considerable disruption to enemy troop movements in eastern France. The officer who took over the circuit has paid tribute to COWBURN's selfless courage and leadership.
Having returned to Paris, COWBURN tried to re-establish contact with the Seine et Marne circuit. This was a dangerous task, for the group had been penetrated by the Gestapo as a result of the arrest of its leader and second in command. COWBURN succeeded, however, in tracing its W/T operator, who was lying low, and although the speed of the Allied armies' advances left him little time to organise the circuit, he was able to play a part in the liberation of Melun at the end of August. He also made a galant attempt to rescue the two arrested officers from Fresnes prison, but having succeeded in penetrating into the prison ground, he found that all political prisoners had been removed to Germany.
During his four clandestine missions in France, this officer made a very great contribution to the successful organisation of French resistance. His courageous and determined leadership were an inspiration to all his colleagues and subordinates. In returning to France for the fourth time, in spite of being well-known to the Gestapo through his previous activities, he showed outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty.
It is strongly recommended that he be awarded a bar to the Military Cross."
Signed
Major-General Colin Gubbins
3.8.45.
Second MC awarded as a Bar.
Croix de Guerre (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Unit:
- F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
With palm
Sources
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